'Every day is like a Saturday' Blackpool resort bounces back in the sun

Pictures taken by the Gazette show crowds of people enjoying the weather at the seaside resort almost two weeks after lockdown restrictions continued to ease and life returned back to normality.

People soaked up the sun on the beach, enjoyed drinks and outside dining, and even the donkeys made a return to the front this weekend.

She said: "We know how important the tourism industry is to Blackpool so this weekend it has been amazing to see both tourists and local residents out again enjoying the sunshine and supporting local businesses once again.

"I know it is not perfect and we still face restrictions at the moment, but it is giving us hope of what it will be like when they are lifted and we return back to normality.

"The amount of people we have seen enjoying restaurants and cafes is amazing. I feel the people in Blackpool have all come together since the first lockdown and have been supporting each other and doing things to help in their local communities.

"Residents have come together during this time of real crisis like no other time before and I would like to thank everyone in Blackpool who has been a part of the mass effort to keep people safe and get through this difficult time."

Business owners across the resort continued to welcome guests after non-essential retailers and hospitality businesses were given the green light to reopen from April 12.

Michelle Burrows, the owner of the Compass Cafe Bar, said: "It has been one of the busiest weeks and this weekend has been no exception.

"It hasn't tailed off since we reopened, every day has been as busy as the next and we have been blessed with the weather which has certainly helped.

"I think people are just so relieved to be out and they would come and support businesses regardless of the weather. Every day has been like a Saturday for us.

"We are very lucky because we rely mainly on our regular customers, and it has been great to see them all again but it is also nice to be serving new tourists and visitors."

And Elizabeth Street Fish and Chips had another booming weekend of takeaway orders.

Manager CJ Truby said: "We had a nice busy weekend which was due to the weather.

"We would like to think that this footfall will continue to increase over the coming months.

"We have found that home deliveries are getting more popular now than people walking into the shop. Home deliveries and pre-ordering is definitely more popular since lockdown, especially now with people being able to enjoy the better weather and meet up in gardens."

VisitBlackpool, which works to advise on tourism and the visitor economy in Blackpool took to Twitter ahead of this weekend to encourage visitors to throw away their rubbish and abide by Government guidelines following temperatures of 18C.

As well as informing tourists of the low tide times to best prepare their day, they also offered a list of outdoor hospitality businesses for people to continue to support over the weekend.

The Velvet Coaster is one of the largest pubs in Blackpool, giving visitors the chance to make use of their outdoor seating areas across three levels.

Speaking of the recent busy custom, Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “ Our pubs in and around Blackpool have been packed out since reopening.

“We are delighted to welcome back our customers and staff, who have been away for a long time.

“Staff are pleased to be back at work and customers love the fact that they can now enjoy a drink and something to eat at Wetherspoon.

“The Velvet Coaster has been very busy, with the outside area packed out and customers are fully aware of the safety rules in place and are adhering to those and there is a great buzz in the pubs.

“We look forward to all pubs opening on May 17, subject to the government road plan.”